In a sit-down interview with theGrio, Moore states,” When I think about Juneteenth and when I think about liberty, I think about what we are doing to create real, lasting, long-term wealth in our neighborhoods.”
Governor of Maryland On Thursday, Wes Moore made two new executive orders that aim to close the state’s racial wealth gap and restore righteousness.
America’s just black government issued a new administrative clemency order for nonviolent cannabis offenses in honor of Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday to mark the end of the enslavement of African Americans. Additionally, Governor Moore has approved more than 400″ Just Neighborhoods” to receive priority consideration for housing and area state funding.
Moore made the presentations at the historical Bethel AME Church in Cambridge, Maryland, where participation was first established before the close of American slavery in 1847.
” Our state’s history is incredibly complex. The history of our nation is complex and uneven, according to Moore, who also recalls his own mother’s history, including that of his great-grandfather who fled to Maryland to leave the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina. That should also serve as inspiration and determination, as well as a sense of why we are anxious. Why do we want to act?
In addition to the freed 175, 000 instances of plain marijuana possession, Moore’s most recent mercy action expands on one from June 2024. That number has grown by almost 7, 000 more clemencies, according to the government. The more pardons come from some eligible cases that have not previously been identified by the state’s judiciary as a result of incorrect coding.
The Maryland government claimed that cannabis laws have been a” streamlined” against the Black community for generations, and they frequently continue to be used as “life sentences” against the minority.
According to Moore,” I had people in my position who couldn’t get a barber’s registration, don’t get a student loan, or don’t find a home loan because of a criminal cannabis conviction that occurred in my state perhaps after Maryland legalized and established a recreational cannabis market,“
Knowing that these pardons will include a disproportionately impact on American Americans, because the effect that we’ve seen on this war has been a conflict that frequently affects Black neighborhoods, I have the power to straight as chief executive, as governor, and as governor.
In addition, Moore’s” Only Communities” initiative aims to address Maryland’s history of discrimination against Black communities, which were deprived of opportunities by racially discriminatory practices like redlining, industrial bridge building, and urban renewal. These communities will be given a five-year title and focus money consideration by the Department of Housing and Community Development after being identified by the state population system.
The first round of” Just Communities” designations, 419 out of a total of 1, 463, will be available in the 2026 fiscal year budget, according to the governor’s office, which includes up to$ 400 million in investments.
Because we know one of the biggest owners of money, it’s making efforts to make more folks people, Moore said. He has made closing the racial wealth gap in Maryland a key component of his presidency.
Moore’s policies that emphasize racial equality compare strikingly with those of the Trump administration. The White House has threatened to withdraw federal money from state and private organizations that do not abide by President Donald Trump’s executive orders. It has also called for the end of so-called “illegal Della” policies.
The Maryland government claimed to be “prepared” for any effort by the Trump White House to thwart his efforts. His office and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and the General Assembly, including the Congressional Black Caucus, had been working in” near synchronization” for some time.
” The Trump presidency can do what the Trump presidency is going to do,” the statement read. I am unfazed. I’m not at all apologetic, he told theGrio. I accept the fact that I am aware that the legislation is on my side on this and that story is on my side on this.
Do you think the Trump administration, the national management, might be repressing you? Yes, possibly. Absolutely,” he continued. Everything they have done so far has caused me to squirm, and it didn’t start right away.
Gov. The racial justice movement criticized a reparations research costs that he vetoed in June, and Moore’s announcements came one month later. In light of the numerous essential studies that have been conducted on this subject over the course of nearly three decades, Moore said,” Now is the time to concentrate on the job itself.” He explained his decision at the time.
Moore, the only black government in the country, said he wants to set a precedent for other rulers and the federal government in addressing the effects of racial discrimination.
Here in the state of Maryland, he told theGrio,” We have the ability to walk with urgency and move with rate and make sure that the problems that are facing our communities …should be addressed with the kind of defiant necessity that we’re moving on.”
Governor Moore said that when he considers what liberty means to him, he thinks about” creating money” for Black Americans, which is a key driver of his administrative actions when he considered the June 15th trip and its symbol of freedom.
He continued,” Wealth becomes a measure of freedom.” Wealth is not about yachts or fourth homes. Wealth is simply put, do you own more than you owe? Can you also be debt-free with your children? Do you have anything you can turn to in case of an emergency to help you get through it?
The governor and rising star of the Democratic Party stated that his main goal is to give Maryland’s most economically disadvantaged a” chance to breathe.”
He continued,” I think of what we are doing to create true, sustainable, long-term wealth within our communities when I think about Juneteenth and when I think about freedom.”
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Originally sourced via trusted media partner. https://thegrio.com/2025/06/19/gov-wes-moore-juneteenth-closing-racial-wealth-gap/
